Letters to the Editor 3/25/21 | The Source Weekly - Bend, Oregon

Letters to the Editor 3/25/21

Entitled dog owner problem in Bend, “Be Best,” Climate Change and Safe Routes For All SB395

Editor's note:

I could not have put it better than The Washington Post's 5-Minute Fix newsletter, which on Tuesday outlined the events of the past week with the statement, "Back to our regularly scheduled mass shootings, intractable gun politics." Fast on the heels of the Atlanta spa shootings that sparked so much conversation about ending hate against people of Asian descent, another mass shooting has happened in Boulder. Here in Bend, our news pages are also occupied by stories we don't always cover in the Source Weekly—namely, violent crime—but this week, those stories definitely rose to the top of the news cycle. It's been a heavy week, month, year....

Letters to the Editor 3/25/21
@danielmrobbins / Instagram
Local photographer Daniel M. Robbins shot this awesome waterfall shot with his lil ol' cell phone. Check him out @danielmrobbins, and tag us in your beauty shots @sourceweekly for a chance to be featured here and in the Cascades Reader's Instagram of the week.

For those looking for something that can ground them or give them a place to put some of the energy generated by these senseless killings, check out our Picks page, where we've highlighted an upcoming demonstration centered around stopping Asian hate. Thanks for reading, Central Oregon.

Entitled dog owner problem in Bend

On Bend trails—clearly marked "dogs on leash" and in neighborhoods, many owners are allowing their dogs off leash. Bend law states: Dogs are required to be controlled on a tethered leash inside the city of Bend except in approved Parks and Recreation or on private property. The fine is $250.

On-leash dogs feel threatened by off-leash dogs and react accordingly. This is an extremely stressful situation for those of us following the law. 

If an officer was to monitor the trails and hand out $250 fines, word of mouth about the enforcement of the law would spread and maybe these entitled dog owners would respect our right to peaceful hikes on the trails. 

It would stand to reason the amount of dog poop littering the sidewalks and trails is in direct proportion to the amount of dogs being off leash.

—Angela Neumann

"Be Best"

With anti-Asian hate crimes on the rise, and right-wing media rationalizing genocide, has Dr. Seuss' publisher just gone too far?

Dr. Seuss wasn't perfect. None of us are. If they stop printing a few in their catalog, Who cares? Mr. Potato Head has a schlong! So says the GOP (Greedy Old Perverts), now Pathetically obsessed with potato phalluses. Hey Trumptards, potatoes don't have dongs!

The Republican Party is Mr. Potato Head - Just as boring as Rush Limbaugh is dead. What idiot ever thought potatoes have sex?! Dan Quayle misspelled "potatoe", and next — Stormy Daniels said Trump has a mushroom!

And fascist FOX "News" is predicting doom! If Hasbro circumcises your Mr. Potato Head, "Christians" will fall off the flat Earth dead. Holy crap! Are conservatives this crazy now?

Y'all lie like Trump repeating a marriage vow! Whining and complaining about Dr. Seuss, And gender neutral plastic potato head toys, While Biden sends checks for girls and boys!

America is back, baby, and the GOP is done! We the people have had it with Trump dumb. Faked outrage is all Republicans have left, Because they sold their souls to "BE BEST."

—Jake Pickering

Climate Change

On January 27th, John Kerry stated that the U.S. could eliminate all its carbon (CO2) and it would have no meaningful effect on climate change. The CATO Institute had previously confirmed this mathematically using an accepted model. So many other developing countries (e.g. China and India) will not set any meaningful goals, and others (e.g. Germany or Mexico) have given up their planned reductions of CO2. The Paris Accord has no meaningful impact on global warming. So why is the U.S. still pursuing arbitrary CO2 limitations and a carbon tax that will cost American tax payers trillions of dollars? This will cause, in effect, a regressive tax on those least able to afford it. New scientific data on the levels of radiation are based on satellite data only available in recent years. This data shows that solar and cosmic radiation have increased in the last 30 years, so maybe CO2 is NOT the primary driver of global warming. Google magnetosphere, and NASA radiation data to see what you think?

—Quentin Jauquet

Safe Routes For All SB395

I am writing on behalf of The Environmental Center to voice our strong support for SB 395, "The Bike Bill," on the 50th anniversary of its original passage.

Bend was much smaller in 1971 when an initiative was passed to direct 1% of state transportation improvement funds to biking and walking routes. Since then, Bend's popultation has ballooned from 13,700 to nearly 100,000. SB 395 would boost funding to 5%. 

SB 395's extra funds could help Bend ensure safer walking and biking routes. Last fall, Bend voters approved a transportation bond. But the bond only pays for a portion of the total investment we need to make in our transportation system over the next 20 years. Some additional resources from the state would go a long way to helping our community meet that need. 

Our vision is a transportation system in Bend that moves people and goods safely and efficiently, and that meets the needs of all users, whether they walk, bike, take the bus, or drive. Safety is especially important for walkers and bikers—people won't get out of their cars if they don't feel safe. Walking and biking are also good for our health and they reduce car trips on our streets and highways, resulting in less congestion and carbon emissions.

Now is the time to pass the Safe Routes for All act, SB 395, and achieve our vision of safer, less congested streets for all.

—Neil Baunsgard

Letter of the Week:

Neil—Thanks for bringing this to our readers' attention. Come on in for your gift card to Palate!

—Nicole Vulcan

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